Ask Congress to Support Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act During BCAM

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Dear [Decision Maker],

I am your constituent and one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been personally affected by lymphoma, the most common form of blood cancer. As an Advocate for the Lymphoma Research Foundation, I am writing to ask that you support the Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act of 2019 (H.R.3835). I write to you in honor of Blood Cancer Awareness Month - Congress designated the month of September as Blood Cancer Awareness Month in 2010 - to ask that you support legislation that encourages the development of comprehensive and coordinated treatment plans for cancer patients.

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The Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act would establish a new Medicare service for cancer care planning. A written and expertly developed care plan can help cancer patients through the difficult process of cancer diagnosis, treatment choices, treatment management, and survivorship. The legislation would ensure Medicare coverage of the service and provide standards for physicians to use when creating such plans.

A cancer care plan can be developed and shared with the Medicare beneficiary at several points in the cancer care continuum, including: at the time of diagnosis, for the purposes of planning initial active treatment; when there is any substantial change in the condition of the individual, recurrence of disease, changes in the individual's treatment preferences, or significant revision of the elements of curative care or symptom management for the individual; and at the completion of primary treatment for cancer, when the plan may serve as a follow-up survivorship care plan.

In several evaluations of the cancer care system, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) National Cancer Policy Forum found that cancer patients rarely receive a plan of care. The IOM has found that the planning process triggers a solid treatment decision-making process and facilitates the coordination of treatment and supportive care, including management of nausea and vomiting, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. After patients finish active treatment, they may develop a follow-up plan with their physician for survivorship care. These patients require monitoring of the effects of their cancer treatment and for cancer recurrence, as well as follow-up care provided according to recommended schedules. A written plan facilitates the transition to survivorship and the ongoing follow-up that is required.

High-quality, comprehensive, and coordinated cancer care is important to lymphoma patients. This year, nearly 100,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lymphoma. This means that every five minutes, someone is diagnosed with this disease. Lymphoma patients in the United States can access cancer care that is often described as the best in the world. In addition to such high-quality care, cancer care in the United States should include cancer care planning and coordination services in order to incorporate shared decision making and the coordination of all elements of care. Research has confirmed that coordinated cancer care outlined in a written care plan improves patient outcomes, increases patient satisfaction, and reduces utilization of health care resources.

This legislation will ensure patients across the country will receive cancer plans that are developed and shared with patients at several points in the cancer care continuum, adequately informing patients about their diagnosis and cancer care.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]